Hello All,
Black-tailed Gull-
This morning after arriving at the Walla Walla River delta at the confluence
of the Walla Walla River and the Columbia River at about 8:50 AM we unloaded
our scopes and at about 9AM I spotted a darker mantled ring-billed size gull
in with a group of adult Ring-billed Gulls floating on the surface of the
delta in a strong wind out of Wallula Gap. The water was high on the delta
so we set up and studied this gull. Its bill was longer than a ring-billed,
it had a dark black tip at this distance (about 150 meters) the red on the
upper mandibles nail was only seen after the sun broke through the clouds.
The bill between the black terminal tip and the base of the bill was a
gray/green. It had some pale mottling/streaking on the nape and side neck.
Noticeable eye crescents above and below the pale eyes only at certain
angles. Legs and feet were
yellow. Tail had a terminal white border with a broad solid black band
across all retraces. There were no windows in the very dark primaries. The
primaries extended well beyond the tail when closed. This gull was just a
bit larger than a Ring-billed and smaller overall than a California Gull. We
have many distant photos of this bird. In the morning we will be there by
7AM with chum.
Other birds of note.....

WWRdelta
BLACK-TAILED GULL...1 ADULT
Franklins Gull........2 birds
Mew Gull..............1 adult, very early date for WWRdelta
Bonaparte's Gull.....3 birds
California Gull.......240+
Ring-billed Gulls....400+
Glaucous-winged Gull...2
Western Gull..........1 ad.
Caspian Tern..........1 ad.
Black Tern..............1 sub ad.
Forsters Tern...........4 ad.

That is it for now.
Later Mike
..................................................................................
Mike and MerryLynn Denny
Birding the beautiful Walla Walla Valley

If you have not birded, you have not lived